Holy Swadian Empire
Holy Swadian Empire "For our most noble and holy Emperor! Forward the Eagle Banner! We shall fight to the death for Das Heilige Swadches Reich, and vanquish all heresy and perfidy that seeks to destroy our land! This is our oath as Soldiers of the Holy Swadian Army, bound in life and death to the Emperor, to God, and to Swadia!" Formerly an Ellis province, Swadia has now changed a lot. After centuries of wars, plagues and famine, they had emerged as a powerful empire. Emperor Sigismund Augustus has inherited a rich land, and a powerful army, formed by grim landsknechts, “servants of the country”, professional soldiers, who have also served in foreign wars as mercenaries. The nobility is also a powerful military arm, riding in massive, armored horses, trampling everything in its path. The Holy Swadian Empire is not what it used to be though. With the Emperor in mental disorder, the general state of affairs is deteriorating. A glimpse of hope comes in the form of an old-time servant of Swadia. On Gameplay: Based on the real world Holy Roman Empire, the Swadians are good in all fields, but what shines is their cavalry, clad in gleaming full plate armor, charging bravely towards the enemy, with the champion of the army in the front rank, bearing the Standard of The Empire, a double headed eagle. ' Army Structure:' The Empire fields pike blocks accompanied by skirmisher crossbowmen and handgunners. Also, being one of the richest and oldest factions in Calradia and constantly being assailed from all sides, the Holy Swadian Empire also incorporates numerous mercenary companies. Their strongest weapons however are the Imperial Knights accompanied by Demilancers. Units: Swadian Footman The volunteers or conscripts that are drawn from the humble towns of Swadia. They used to be the the Empire's rank and file until the creation of the Landsknechts. Coming from the different lands of the Empire, they have no standard equipment be it crossbow, sword and shield, or spear. Basic skills and mediocre equipment but still dangerous in numbers. Landsknecht Pikeman Armed with nothing but the pike, these troops are best kept in formation when facing other formations. They're not as good as their Laurian counterparts, but they get the job done of presenting a wall of spears towards the enemy. Crossbowman Swadia's first tier ranged unit. They do what is required of any ranged unit. But as an added bonus, some crossbowmen would bring along shields that'll help them in close combat. Sharpshooter Don't let the name fool you, their is no sharpshooting when the firearm you wield is a blunderbuss. It is very inaccurate, but nevertheless it is a firearm, which means it'll wreak havoc on armored foes. They are designed to be close ranged skirmishers, supporting the Landsknecth pikeblock. Furthermore, when things get gritty, most sharpshooters carry shields and are well armored enough. Veteran Landsknecht Pikeman Skilled and better armored counterparts of the Landsknecht company. Their breastplates and feathered but armored headgear gives them enough staying power that the ordinary pikeman lacks. Still best kept in formation. Landsknecht Doppelsoldner Landsknechts given twice as much wage for their expertise and bravery to assualt the enemy. These men wield massive two handed "Zweihander" swords. With it they can wreak havoc on enemy formations. Aside from the mercenaries, these are the only reliable swordsmen that Swadia have. The are also well armored like veteran pikemen. Swadian Standard Bearer Those soldiers who show tremendous bravery in combat (and survive) are given the honor of carrying the Doppelkopfiger Adler Standard to lead the ranks of infantry to battle. Demilancers The support cavalry of the Empire. Riding atop hunters, wearing half armor, and armed with lances these riders are mobile enough to support knights against other cavalry, but also packs enough punch when wielded in large numbers to take down any foe short of a pike formation. Ultimately, the demilancers get upgraded to HSE's most powerful unit discussed later. Knights Swadia has always been fond of its Knights, from the medieval days of Vanilla Mount and Blade until the age of the Holy Swadian Empire in the EATRC. Swadian Knights are snobbish with their shining heavy plate armors as well as their mighty steeds, chargers fully armored and breed only for war. But no one who ever faced them, could deny how deadly it is to the enemy when the Swadian Knights charge. These guys are perhaps the most powerful anti-infantry cavalry in the the whole land, when compared to the cavalry of other factions. They are armed only with a great lance, but they are tough enough to survive and mow down most troops.